For over a thousand of years, humans evolved in many ways, physically and intellectually. The only thing that stays constant is the basic need for moving. Unfortunately, because of the way people live and work in the twenty-first century, there are many modern illnesses caused by a lack of movement. Chronic back pain is possibly the most frequent of them all and almost everybody experienced it once in their lifetime. It doesn’t matter if it’s a pain in the upper or lower back because it is unpleasant in either way. A healthy spine is essential for our well-being and as soon as we realize that, the sooner we’ll start doing something to prevent the pain. Thankfully, there are a lot of solutions for different causes of pain in your back, and you can start performing them on a daily basis.
1. Five days of sitting, two days all of exaggerating with activities
Many people are usually quite busy during the workweek, and they spend a third (or more) of their day sitting in the office chair. On the weekends, they tend to be as active as they can, playing sports, climbing rocks, doing house chores, etc. Because muscles are inactive during work days, they take a lot of stress when you overuse them on the weekend, and minor back injuries are pretty common in that circumstances.
Solution: Be active as much as you can on the weekdays as well. Go on foot wherever you can or ride a bicycle, run, walk on the stairs instead of taking an elevator, swim, play basketball or any sport of your choosing, surf, do yoga, lift weights, do whatever moving pattern you enjoy. Don’t forget to warm up before and stretch before and after the exercise. Anyone can set aside at least an hour a day for some type of activity.
2. Back pain caused by a weak core
Core muscles are the most important muscles (besides the heart, of course) in the body because they are used to protect and stabilize the spine. Many people who are physically active tend to neglect their core muscles. These muscles are not including just your “six-packs” (rectus abdominis), but also back muscles, inner, and outer obliques (side abdominal muscles), glutes, as well as transversus abdominis (the deepest muscle layer in the core).
Solution: Workout your core as well. Instead of doing just crunches, concentrate on many exercises where the base of your body works actively. By this, we mean exercises like a barbell (back and front) squats, deadlifts, ab wheel rollouts, yoga ball exercises, etc. When you strengthen your core, not only that you will be relieved of back pain, you will also perform better in other exercises and everyday situations.
3. The price of beauty
Most women have back pain that is caused by wearing high heels, and that is common knowledge. But, did you know that the sandals and other kinds of shoes without the support for the arch of the foot may cause a lot of problems for the knees and subsequently back? A lot of men and women are affected by this without even knowing.
Solution: Walk barefooted as much as you can. Try to use your feet for grabbing objects on the floor, exercise those arch and toe muscles whenever you can. Also, it is very good to switch between several types of shoes on a daily basis. From sports sneakers to regular flat shoes and sandals, mix your footwear every day.
4. Too much time spent in standing position
It is not good to sit too much, but it is also dangerous to stand in one spot for a longer period of times. It is especially damaging for your joints and back. Unfortunately, the twenty-first century dictates the pace, and there are plenty of jobs where you stand in one spot for at least eight hours and sometimes even more than that. Muscles get really sore because they are continuously activated and because of that (and the improper alignment of the spine) the pain occurs.
Solution: Fortunately, the twenty-first century also brought new technologies in different departments that can help us battle our conditions. Anti-fatigue mat is one of them. It is a special surface mat made out of flexible materials and because of that, your muscles need to work a bit differently so you can balance out. It takes off the load from the certain muscle groups and switches them to other muscles. In that way, neither muscle group gets fatigued, and the back pain problem is non-existent. These products increase comfort and stimulate blood flow as well. If you can, get an anti-fatigue mat.
5. Losing the muscle-mind connection
Many people just forget how easy it is to hurt your back if you don’t necessarily think about them. Sometimes you can just pick a pen from the floor with the rounded back and get injured (yes, this really happens). Other times people just neglect the importance of standing up straight while walking, for instance. In time, because of the bad posture, the pain occurs also.
Solution: When lifting something heavy from the floor, squat first, straighten your back, squeeze the abdominals and glutes, and then lift the object. It’s a lesser risk of an injury. In case you can’t squat for some reason, you necessarily have to tighten your abdominal muscles to take off the load from your back. Also, try to remind yourself the importance of standing straight and maintain that muscle-mind connection whenever you can.
6. Pregnancy
It is nothing uncommon; pregnant women are more likely to feel pain in the lumbar area of their backs. Nobody said that it’s easy to be pregnant because it’s certainly not. It can be very stressful to your body and mind, but the end result is the most beautiful thing imaginable.
Solution: You need to eat healthy foods and workout occasionally. By working out, we don’t mean that you should squat 300 pounds. Instead, you need to work on your core in the first few weeks and later to work specially designed exercises for pregnant women. Of course, you need to consult your physician before starting any workout regimen. Not only that you will be healthier and leaner (less stress on the spine), but you will also give birth to your child more easily.
7. Back problems related to sleeping
Many people face back problems after a long night of sleeping. You’ve slept for seven or eight hours straight; you should be fully rested, but instead, your back hurt and you feel tired. Problems mostly occur to people that sleep on their stomachs and/or when your bed is too hard or too soft.
Solution: Sleeping on your back and the sides keep your spine in the neutral position. Because of that, your joints and muscles are relaxed and relieved of pressure. If for some reason, you have to sleep on your stomach, put the small pillow under your hips and your spine and joint will feel the difference in the morning. Also, you should consider buying a medium firm mattress. It is scientifically proven that people who sleep on medium firm mattresses don’t suffer from back aches as much as individuals who sleep on too soft or too hard ones.
8. Anxiety, depression and mentally stressful situations
It is no secret that people who are in pain tend to be severely depressed, but latest scientific research has shown that it works the other way around as well. Individuals with anxiety issues, stressful jobs, people who are depressed for any reason may feel physical pain that manifests itself in their back. Not many people cope well with stress, and that is a problem around the globe. The trouble is when the extensive stress becomes an everyday thing. In that case, the body releases a stress hormone called cortisol, and that causes shoulder and back muscles to tense up and even spasm.
Solution: Chronic back aches induced by stressful situations can be very severe and unpleasant. Luckily, there is a ton of solutions available. Lots of breathing exercises, yoga, physical activities, antidepressants; all of these things can help an individual cope with stress. Positive thinking can be another very useful tool for happiness and well-being. Sometimes, the solution is very simple. If you don’t like your job, quit it, find another one. Troubles with friends or family? Be sincere to each other, love each other more. Don’t suffer because of the things that you can’t control, accept them as such and move on.
Are you suffering from lower back pain?
Chances are that you are, and for a reason we mentioned. Be sure to check the article out and implement a solution to your specific problem. Change your life to the better, and enjoy a better health.
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